This Week in Happiness {Week 4}

“We rise by lifting others” – Robert Ingersoll

Focusing on happiness will change your world. -me

I’ve spent about a year and a half trying to focus on the positive, finding the good in life, and focusing on peace and allowing the negative to pass through and fall away, and it has truly changed me. Spending the past 4 weeks really focusing on, and making note of the things that make me happy, in an effort to share them with my family, friends, and you, has brought me such focus, freedom, and joy.

First up this week is this Candied Bacon recipe from my friend, Lori, aka Recipe Girl.

Because really, y’all? Candied and Bacon? It’s a match made in Heaven – cue the Hallelujah chorus and wedding bells.

Jalapeno Poppers aka Grilled, Stuffed Jalapenos, aka grilled spicy poppers of awesomeness – have been a family favorite for about 16 years. Nathan requests them for virtually every bbq and get together, so when I saw these Macaroni and Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos from Bakeaholic Mama, I pinned them, printed them, and added the ingredients to this week’s shopping menu! Superbowl is this weekend after all!

My reader daughter, and the conversations we’ve been having about the book, Wonder, make me happy and proud and giddy, all at the same time. I encourage every one of you to read this book by yourself, with your child, have them read it alone… tell your friends. It is that exceptional.

If you ever have the chance to watch a movie at an Alamo Drafthouse – DO IT! Comfy seats, at your seat beverage and food service, amazing movies, vintage and new.

This past Friday we had a double date night with some friends and watched Lone Survivor, it wrecked me. It’s an absolutely phenomenal movie. It’s extraordinarily well cast, the acting is above and beyond, and the way they tell the story and treat the memory of these men and their lives… it is exceptional. I won’t sugar coat it, I sobbed. I was a mess. This movie was excruciating for me to watch, but I am so glad that I did. I’m downloading the book to read, or maybe I’ll get the audiobook and listen.. I don’t know. I’ve never been in a theater where not one person gets up until after the credits roll, until this one. Until watching Lone Survivor, I’ve never been in a theater where the audience applauds at the end of the show. It happened Friday night. After Lone Survivor, the entire audience left the theater in hushed silence. This movie… I am in awe, and profoundly grateful for every single person who serves and protects our freedom in any and every capacity, and my heart goes out to every family member here at home. God Bless Each of You, and thank you.

I heartily applaud your efforts to focus on the positive. I have had a similar journey this year. I started a happiness jar, just finding a happy in my day and jotting it down, folding and placing in a mason jar. Turns out that the prefrontal cortex responds to this and builds a neural pathway that we go back to again and again to refill and refuel the neural pathway to happiness. I love geeky brain stuff! It makes me happy:) and I love being happy.

I always try to focus on the positive. There are plenty of negative things in this world, for sure. I learned through some unfortunate circumstances that I would rather be happy and find the joy in life. There’s always something to smile about. My life is far from perfect but I choose instead to be grateful for who I am and that there is always something really good around the corner, even right in front of us if we choose to see it. Love that wooden sign!! I hadn’t seen it before.